Westringia hybrid plant named WES03

ABSTRACT

‘WES03’ is a distinctive variety of  Westringia  hybrid which is characterized by an erect to semi erect shrub habit and vivid, deeply colored violet flowers.

The present application claims priority from a provisional U.S.application Ser. No. 61/561,532 filed Nov. 18 2011, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

The Latin name of the genus and species of the novel variety disclosedherein is Westringia hybrid.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The inventive variety of Westringia hybrid disclosed herein has beengiven the variety denomination ‘WES03’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofhybrid Westringia, which has been given the variety denomination of‘WES03’. Its market class is that of an ornamental plant. ‘WES03’ isintended for use in landscaping and as a decorative plant.

Parentage: Controlled pollination of maternal parent Westringia hybrid‘x2003.9.1’ (unpatented) with pollen parent Westringia hybrid‘x2003.9.3’ (unpatented) in September of 2004 at the Plant BreedingInstitute in Cobbity, New South Wales, Australia. Resulting seed wassown the following year in March 2005. Several seedlings were selectedand subsequently transferred to a 10 cm pots in October of 2005. TheWestringia hybrid variety ‘WES03’ was finally selected in 2009 followinga selection process carried out from 2005 to 2009. ‘WES03’ was selecteduniquely color flowers and upright yet shorter growth habit compared toboth parents.

Asexual Reproduction: ‘WES03’ was first propagated asexually by divisionin the state of New South Wales, Australia and has since been asexuallypropagated by division and micropropagation. The distinctivecharacteristics of the inventive ‘WES03’ variety are stable fromgeneration to generation; clones of the variety produced by asexualreproduction maintain the distinguishing characteristics of the originalplant.

An application for plant breeders' rights for variety ‘WES03’ has beenlodged with the Australian Plant Breeders' Rights Office, and wasaccepted on 13 May 2011 under Application No. 2011/044.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘WES03’ is a distinctive variety of hybrid Westringia which ischaracterized by an erect to semi erect shrub habit and vivid, deeplycolored violet flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a mature ‘WES03’ plant.

FIG. 2 illustrates the flower of a ‘WES03’ plant.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Westringia hybrid ornamental plant known as ‘WES03’. Plantobservations were made on plants grown from rooted cuttings into 10 inchnursery pots in Charleston, S.C. Unless indicated otherwise, thedescriptions disclosed herein are based upon observations made frommature ‘WES03’ plants grown from rooted cuttings filled with soillesspotting media, maintained with granular slow release fertilizer, andregularly watered with overhead irrigation. No pest and disease measureswere taken. Observation data was recorded in October of 2011.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘WES03’ has notbeen observed under all possible environmental conditions. Wheredimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is tobe understood that such characteristics are approximations or averagesset forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety mayvary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature,light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Colornotations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, 1986 edition. Note that genericcolor descriptions such as ‘white’ do not exist in the R.H.S. charts andthe corresponding R.H.S. colors are quoted.

‘WES03’ is a perennial Westringia hybrid plant which is a seedlingselection from hybrid Westringia parentage, both unpatented. After itsselection, ‘WES03’ was asexually propagated by division. ‘WES03’ has anupright, shruby habit and vivid, deeply colored violet flowers. Thesefeatures and other characteristics are apparent from the descriptionprovided below.

-   Growth habit, dimensions and color:-   Plant description:    -   -   Bloom period.—Spring with sporadic flowering in fall.        -   Plant habit.—Shrubby; upright, rounded and dense.        -   Height.—150 cm at maturity.        -   Width.—130 cm at maturity.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 9 to 11.        -   Propagation.—Propagation is accomplished using softwood            cuttings. Roots well without rooting compound or hormone.        -   Time to develop roots.—2 to 4 weeks.        -   Crop time.—From four to six months are needed to produce a            14-centimeter container with plant in flower, starting from            a rooted cutting.        -   Pest and disease susceptibility or resistance.—In common            with the species, none of note.-   Stem:    -   -   Shape.—Cylindrical yet angular.        -   Stem color.—Young stem is closest to green 138B.        -   Stem dimensions.—mature stem is approximately 35 cm in            length with a diameter of 7 mm near the base.        -   Stem surface.—Corky.        -   Basal stem color.—Ranges from green 138B to grey 201C to            200A at maturity.        -   Branching and habit.—Strong branching habit; upright growth            habit.        -   Internode length.—12 mm on average.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen.        -   Shape.—Elliptical, narrow.        -   Division.—Simple.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cunneate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Vein color (adaxial surfaces).—139A.        -   Vein color (abaxial surfaces).—138B.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Arrangement.—Whorled.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Texture.—Leathery.        -   Surfaces (adaxial surface).—Finely pubescent to glabrous.        -   Surfaces (abaxial surface).—Heavily pubescent.        -   Mature leaf dimensions.—average length 11.5 mm, average            width 2.5 mm.        -   Leaf color (adaxial surface).—Juvenile: 138A; mature: 139A.        -   Leaf color (abaxial surface).—Juvenile: 138B; mature: 138B.        -   Petiole.—Approximately 1 to 2 mm in length; width minute.        -   Stipules.—Laminar and green (RHS 138A); pubescent; length is            approximately 2 to 4 mm.-   Inflorescence: Flowers are sessile, singular and persist for    approximately 5 days. Self cleaning. Non fragrant.    -   -   Flowers.—Small; Sympetalous, irregular with sepal lobes            appearing to number four, width across the corolla measuring            on average 12.2 mm and a length of 15 mm (average); color            approximates to 84A.        -   Bud.—Not yet described.        -   Calyx.—Synsepalous with five calyx lobes; green (RHS 137C).-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—4.        -   Stamen color.—84A.        -   Stamen dimensions.—About 3 mm in length and very thin.        -   Attachment.—Each stamen joins floral tube independently:            Free.        -   Anther dimensions.—Minute.        -   Anther color.—Yellow.        -   Pollen.—Absent.        -   Pistil.—One.        -   Pistil dimensions.—About 8 mm. in length and very thin.        -   Pistil color.—84A.        -   Ovary position.—Half-Inferior.-   Fruit and seed production: Not yet observed

Comparison of WES03 with Other Varieties of Hybrid Westringia

When compared to both the seed and pollen parent, ‘WES03’ has a shorterplant height and a deeper

‘WES03’ is similar in form and function to Westringia hybrid ‘WynyabbieGem’ in that both have an erect to semi erect shrub habit and both havea flower with color in the hue of violet. However ‘WES03’ has a flowerthat is a deeper hue of violet corresponding to RHS 84A whereas theflowers of ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ are a lighter hue of violet corresponding toRHS 85C. The flowers of ‘WES03’ are also slightly larger than ‘WynyabbieGem’; the corolla of ‘WES’ is 15 mm (average) in length whereas‘Wynyabbie Gem’ is approximately 10 mm in length. ‘WES03’ has smallgreen leaves with an average length of 11.5 mm and a width of 2.5 mmwhereas the leaves of ‘Wynyabbie Gem” are grey green and larger with alength of up to 20 mm and a width of approximately 3 mm.

The combination of its deeper violet flowers, larger flowers and smallerleaves makes ‘WES03’ a desirable ornamental plant suited for massproduction for pot and landscape use.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Westringiahybrid plant named ‘WES03’, substantially as described and illustratedherein.